March, Your Festival & Event Guide

March into this month with these extravagant and influential activities throughout the metro area. Take your pick from food festivities, to design inspirations, to exclusive expos. Also make sure you consider the St. Patrick's Day celebrations throughout Minneapolis and Saint Paul as well. This month has many fantastic options specific for you, and for the entire family!

Minneapolis

The great Food and Wine Festival is back for the 25th year in a row! Throughout this experience, you'll be exposed to local, regional and national wines all simply delicious. Award-winning food will also be paired with the drink menu. The main event will take place the first weekend in March, from 1:00 - 5:00 PM both days. This is arguably the most delicious weekend of the year, so grab your ticket now!

Looking for excellent design tips and tricks? Or perhaps you enjoy seeing the latest exclusive trends and exciting inspirations? Whatever the reason, spend your first weekend in March at the 85th year of the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show! Exhibitors from custom cabinets to in-home spas to vacation timeshares and more, will be on display showing their best products and ready to answer your specific questions. In addition to the fantastic businesses, there will also be various workshops and speakers. For the HGTV gurus, Drew & Jonathan Scott as well as Clint Harp will be making appearances this year. If this hasn't enticed you yet, then make sure to check out a preview of the event through the Home + Garden social media links and their exclusive blog. This is the Home + Garden inspiration event of the season, so we hope to see you there!

Calling all event specialist and enthusiasts, this Expo is for you! Come experience all of the resources necessary for planning large events. Categories such as Photographers, Entertainers, Florists, Caterers, Staging, Lighting, Tent Rentals, and more will be on scene to show off their specialties and answer any questions you may have. This unique opportunity will gather individuals from areas of Corporate Events, Conventions, Conferences, Fairs, Festivals, City Celebrations, Weddings, Fundraisers, Galas, and special events. You'll have the opportunity to connect with others in your field for future endeavors. Visit their website and social media platforms to learn more about the unique characteristics of this popular expo!

Calling all entrepreneurs and business owners, this event is for you! Starting or buying a business takes a great deal of passion, endurance, and guts. Going through many ups and downs, it's important to receive any advice wherever and whenever you can. This mini-conference is an opportunity to gain insight from speakers focusing on categories of resilience important to utilize in 2019: Recruiting, Retention, Revenue, and Recession-Planning. You'll hear from individuals such as Cory Hepola and our very own CEO, Andy Schornack. This opportunity is a great chance for learning, connecting, and inspiration.

From classy clothing to floral designs, the Minneapolis Vintage Market has great options for every individual's style. Once a month the vintage shops throughout the metro area come together to be featured in one big event. Vendors showing off their best leather purses, bright jackets, dainty dresses, and more will take over the entire space of the Machine Shop. While browsing, you'll have access to delicious treats from SK Coffee espresso bar, the Fruit and Grain bakery popup, KCM Egg Rolls food truck, and the Machine Shop's full bar complete with cocktails, mimosas, bloodies, beer, and wine. If you want access to the one of a kind items prior to the public opening, you can purchase an early bird ticket here. This includes exclusive entry an hour before the rush, as well as a coffee while you shop. This event is full of artistic vintage finds, unique jewelry, and delicious treats - something you don't want to miss. P.S. dress in light layers if you do attend, as the building fills up rather quickly!

Eager for race season to begin in Minnesota? Whether you're a competitive runner or it's your first time, everyone is invited to show off their pride of Minnesota during this exclusive Hot Dash. Individuals can choose from a 5k or a 10k, that both display beautiful, scenic routes along the run. Participants are also encouraged to join in the costume competition. Check out the Twin Cities Motion Instagram to view costume inspiration from past years, generally filled with lots of red flannels and big smiles. Upon accomplishing crossing the finish line, you'll receive a steamy hotdish, a fresh brew, and various other Minnesota-themed treats. In addition to these delicious components, participants will receive a long-sleeve, quarter zip technical pullover. Come out and show your state's pride by participating in this unique race!

Saint Paul

Eager to begin celebrating the Irish holiday of St. Patrick's Day? Come join in the celebration of LuckyPalooza, a two-block street party on West 7th in Saint Paul! Tents hosted by Burger Moe's, Cossetta's and Patrick McGovern's will be hosting food and fun. As well as, various food stands and bars, live entertainment, a mechanical bull, and more! After the tents close around 11:00 pm, you're invited to move to the surrounding bars and restaurants in the area. In addition, this year has a special day event - the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament hosted at the Xcel Energy Center. If you're interested in this, make sure you grab your tickets early!

Experience Irish festivities through the Twin Cities food hall experience! Morrissey's Irish Pub will be partnered at the Keg and Case W. 7th Market at their weekend tent party and St. Patrick's Day Celebration. This Pub combines Irish roots and charm to make a great party! They will be offering their signature Fish & Chips and Irish food specialities paired with Guinness and Irish whiskey. Entertainment will feature Irish bands, dancers, and of course - bag pipes! This event is also for the entire family. Children will be able to create themed crafts and receive fun face-paintings. This event is a fantastic festivity to add to your assortment of St. Patrick's Day activities!

St. Patrick's Day is a great time to reflect on the impact of the Irish Immigrants. While the Hill family was not directly immigrants, Theresa Mehegan, daughter of immigrants and wife of James J. Hill, often celebrated her Irish heritage in their Hill home. During the St. Patrick's Day weekend, you'll be able to visit the mansion and witness their Irish values and culture. You can expect to hear traditional Irish music, witness needlework demonstrations, and listen to stories of the Hills and their servants as they were mostly Irish-Americans living in Minnesota. This event is family friendly and very informational for all ages!

The weekend of Saint Paddys isn't complete without an eventful Day Parade! The Saint Paul streets will once again host the greatest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the nation for the 53rd year in a row. Upon the festivities, Saint Paul will be turning the city green. Throughout this Irish celebration traditional music, dancers, and of course bag pipers will be featured. This event is free and a must do activity over the Irish Holiday!

Looking for a musical performance to catch? Inspired by Jane Austen's book, the Lyric Arts theatre presents Sense & Sensibility. This artistic act focuses on humor, emotional depth, and bold theatrics. Throughout the play, our reactions to societal pressures, reasonable and ridiculous, are both examined. The main question is - When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart? This delightful play is based in 18th century England, providing for an extra charm. Purchase your tickets online now!

Anyone ready to kick off the spirit of St.Patrick's Day a little early? Join the brewery of Lift Bridge in a celebration of Irish traditions, delicious treats, and best of all - Irish Coffee and themed beer! Your ticket purchase will include a beer token and exclusive inside entertainment of great dancers and bands! There will also be an exclusive Irish brew bottle available for purchase. Serving hot Irish Breakfast and frozen Claddaugh Colada will be provided from a Five Watt Coffee food truck. To learn more about the delightful beer featured and to purchase tickets, stop by the Lift Bridge website!

There's so many great involvement festivities throughout this month, we hope you find one or two you're excited for! If you're still looking for specific events, consider following our Instagram where we post upcoming weekend events biweekly - exclusively for you.

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Kelsey is an avid enthusiast for communication design. She is currently the social media and marketing intern at Flagship. She enjoys being on the digital side of things, but also loves the outdoors and staying active. Kelsey is excited to spend time exploring the Twin Cities communities and events in the area.